MOBILE, Alabama -- A moody, passionate poet and a gorgeous greedy gal are the main characters in Mobile Opera's 2014-2015 season.

The season's intense and tragic operas are Jules Massenet's "Werther," playing on Oct. 24 and 26 and Giacomo Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," scheduled for March 27 and 29.

"'Werther' has never been done here. It's in the grand opera tradition and the standard repertoire, but it's still new for Mobile Opera," Wright said. "'Puccini's 'Manon' has never been done here either."

"In 'Werther,' we get to kill the tenor, which is always fun. We don't get to do that very often in opera," he said. "And in 'Manon Lescaut' we get to kill the soprano."

Both operas are based on classic works of literature; "Werther" on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1774 German novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther," and "Manon" on the Abbe Prevost's 1731 French novel "History of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut."

Although 'Werther' is an iconic German tale, the opera is sung in French. And "Manon Lescaut," despite its French origin, is performed in Italian. Both operas will be accompanied by English super-titles so the audience can follow the action.

Each work also revolves around single-minded main characters infatuated with lovers and lifestyles that ultimately elude them, hence the season's theme of "Obsession."

The brooding young poet Werther is desperately in love with the beautiful Charlotte, who is betrothed to a man named Albert.

"It's just raw passion," Anderson said. "It's one man's obsession with a woman that he knows in his mind that he'll never have and you see the mental breakdown of this man."

And Manon craves the hot-blooded love of the young student De Grieux, but also can't live without the jewels and finery provided by her aging benefactor boyfriend Geronte.

"She's the proof that you cannot have your cake and eat it too," Wright said.

Manon and Werther's powerful desires lead both of them to an early grave.

Mad love

After one night out with Charlotte, tortured artist Werther is totally consumed with ardor. Charlotte eventually realizes that she has deep feelings for the sensitive scribe as well.

It's a inconvenient yearning on both sides, because Charlotte is already engaged to Albert, and she promised her mother on her death bed that she would marry him.

"She knows that she loves Werther but she goes ahead and marries Albert," Wright said. "Its duty. It's whats expected of her. It's the way that things are done."

Charlotte deludes herself into thinking that everything will work out just fine. Still, she can't stop poring over the love letters Werther has sent to her and longing for the mournful young man.

"She can't let go of this feeling that continues to welll up in her until Werther visits her and there's nothing she can do," Wright said. "She doesn't run away with him. She stays faithful to her husband, and (from there), it just descends into the pit. Charlotte and Werther are both torn apart from this until Werther sees he can do nothing but just hurt her. So he shoots himself."

Anderson thinks the simple plot is secondary to the overall mood of this dark and ambient opera.

"For me the piece is all about atmosphere, both in the text and in the music," he said. "Massenet was such a brilliant orchestrator. I think the orchestra becomes almost the protagonist in the story."

The part of Werther will be played by Granberry Wilson, a singer with meaningful Mobile Opera ties.

Wright said Wilson's sang his first lead role in Mobile Opera's 1982 production of Donizetti's comic opera "The Elixir of Love." Wilson played the amorous peasant Nemerino in "Elixir," which is pretty much the polar opposite of the heavy, psychological "Werther."

Since then, Wilson has "made the circuit around the world," Wright said. "He's sung on four continents."

Wilson's upcoming turn as Werther will be particularly significant for the singer and the Port City arts scene.

"He's going to stop doing stage work after this," Wright said. "It's kind of full circle for him."

Material girl

Love or money?

Manon Lescaut, an 18th century material girl, wants both.

"She hooks up with one man for wealth and security, then she runs off with the student de Grieux," Wright said. "She betrays the one (Geronte) who gives her the jewels and fine clothes and basically tries to steal them because she can't give them up."

Manon's inability to abandon both her benefactor and the lavish benefits seals her fate.

"She is deemed a prostitute. She gets arrested and sent off to New Orleans and she dies in the desert outside of new Orleans," Wright said. "Puccini didn't know his geography very well."

When Puccini announced his third opera would be based on the story of Manon, music publishers weren't exactly jumping for joy.

After all, Massenet, the composer of "Werther," had already written "Manon," a beautiful, popular opera based on the same story.

Another take on the tale seemed superfluous.

But Puccini had very different plans for his version.

"Basically what Puccini said was, 'Massenet is French. I'm Italian. I'm going to write it with passion.' And I think he did," Wright said. "'Manon Lescaut' is very passionate, where 'Manon' is very perfumed. There's a real softness and a real sweetness."

The part of Manon Lescaut will be sung by Elizabeth Beers Kataria, a soprano new to Mobile Opera.

"Manon Lescaut" is the third installment in Mobile Opera's "Puccini Project," a decade-long exploration of the iconic Italian composer's work during which all of his operas will be performed.

"Manon Lescaut" opened the floodgates to Puccini's genius and worldwide fame.

"It's the opera that put Puccini on an international path," Anderson said. "As soon as it premiered (in 1893 at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy) it was a huge success. Then Puccini was named the successor to Verdi in Italy."

The three operas that followed "Manon Lescaut" are considered Puccini's greatest masterpieces: "La Boheme," "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly."

Anderson, who has directed "Manon Lescaut" previously at other opera companies, said the piece is also a fascinating study in Puccini's stylistic evolution.

"It's one of those rare pieces where you get to hear a composer's growth going from someone that is still honing his craft, and then two hours later you hear his craft perfected," Anderson said. "To me, that's what makes the piece really special and real challenging. I've done it two other times and I can't wait to do it again."